GIACOMO BALDELLI
BIOGRAPHY
Critically noted as "one of the most complete Italian guitarists of his generation," NYC-based Giacomo Baldelli is a multifaceted artist whose work spans performance, writing, and media. As a guitarist, he is deeply committed to exploring the music of the 20th century while actively expanding the 21st-century repertoire for both classical and electric guitar.
An accomplished soloist and chamber musician, Baldelli has performed throughout Europe and the United States in prestigious venues and festivals including the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (England), Biennale Musica (Venice), Aperto Festival (Reggio Emilia), the "Cinque Giornate" Contemporary Music Festival (Milan), the University of Leeds International Concert Series (UK), National Sawdust, Miller Theater, and Spectrum (New York), among many others.
From 2006 to 2013 he was a member of Icarus Ensemble, appearing frequently as a soloist at internationally renowned festivals across Europe. His project NIDRA — described by The New York Times as "a tour de force for electric guitar and video" — premiered at The Secret Theatre in New York City in May 2015 and was later presented at Biennale Musica 2018 in Venice. In 2016, he was invited to teach and perform in a research-led workshop dedicated to Fausto Romitelli, co-produced by the Giorgio Cini Foundation and Orpheus Instituut, and served as Artist in Residence at the Boston University Center for New Music in 2016/2017.
His discography includes three albums: his critically acclaimed debut Chitarra Italiana del XXI° Secolo (Bottega Discantica, 2010), which features the first Italian recording of Fausto Romitelli's landmark electric guitar work Trash TV Trance; Electric Creatures (Sussidiaria, 2018), praised as "a masterpiece" by Neuguitars Magazine; and NYC Tracks (Halidon, 2022).
Beyond the stage, Baldelli has established himself as a prominent voice in Italian music culture through writing and podcasting. From 2019 to 2023 he hosted the independent podcast Chiamo Dopo ("I'll Call Later"), in which he interviewed nearly 150 musicians, writers, actors, directors, and cultural figures. The podcast gave rise to the book Chiamo Dopo: un podcast che racconta storie di musica e creatività (Arcana, 2020), co-written with Giovanni Di Raimo. In 2022 he published Unforgettable: dischi unici che valgono una carriera (Amazon Bestseller, December 2022–January 2023), and in 2025 his latest book, Adesso Potete Applaudire — Vademecum per non avere paura della musica contemporanea (Arcana), was met with widespread acclaim from the Italian music press.
Baldelli earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees summa cum laude from the Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali "A. Peri" in Reggio Emilia, where he studied with Claudio Piastra, with additional studies under Vladimir Mikulka and Carlos Bonell.
He is currently on faculty at the Collegiate School Music Conservatory and Cornelia Connelly Center in New York City.
Mr. Baldelli plays Augustine Strings.